Delicate
by alex8h
Summary: She thought she was just helping out a stray dog. She didn't realize she had accidentally invited mass murderer Sirius Black into her house. Oops.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** **Am I starting another story when I have 2 unfinished ones? Yep. Am I starting it instead of studying for finals? Yep. This was a bit haphazardly thrown together but I hope you enjoy it and please review!**

* * *

He turned his smile towards her and she felt her stomach swoop again. Oh Merlin. Somewhere along the way, she had fallen in love with Sirius Black. She just didn't know when.

* * *

_Several months earlier… _

She was just about to unlock her front door when a large dark blurred shape sped through the woods through her right. With a startled intake of breath, she dropped her keys.

For several weeks now, her neighbors had been whispering about the mysterious creature that had suddenly appeared in the woods at the edge of town. "A bear!" elderly Mrs. Chatterly insisted, while most other believed it to be a wolf. One particularly eclectic neighbor had warned her with an unnervingly wide gaze that it was a "Grim" that brought death. This omen came with the sage advice to stay indoors whenever it appeared. Seeing as she had a fulltime job, that wasn't much of a feasible option for her. Nevertheless, she had feigned ignorance of the matter and graciously thanked the woman before moving on.

She privately thought it was most likely some sort of harmless coyote. But she had grown so accustomed to her classic smile-and-nod approach lately that there was just no point in trying to reassure her neighbors when they fell into their bouts of hysteria like this one.

This particular issue had the town more on edge than usual though. Parents were even forbidding their children from playing in the woods at all when they had previously been considered safe as long as they stayed close by. Seeing as most of those kids had on several occasions damaged her garden, she wasn't particularly bothered by this new policy, but thought the kids were more likely to bother the animal than the other way around.

Because despite all of the ruckus the animal's appearance caused, it still hadn't actually _done_ anything. But, she figured, it was a sleepy old town where nothing ever really happened. People wanted a little excitement anywhere they could find it, including in a large wolf/bear/Grim. Who was she to deny them of the excitement?

Though a large animal had been through not even a minute before, the woods were now eerily still. She couldn't help but feel watched from somewhere deep in the darkness.

She let out a sigh. Perhaps the local gossip had affected her more than she thought. She picked up her keys and finally opened the door, making sure to lock it behind her. For peace of mind only, she reassured herself.

Sure, Greensborough was a harmless bring old town, and it wasn't as though the animal, whatever it was, could turn door handles. But it was always better to be safe than sorry, wasn't it?

She quickly unpacked her groceries, putting everything in its proper place. Dinner was made as an amalgamation of pasta, chicken, garlic, and cheese (always cheese) and eaten in front of the television, turned to whatever was the latest celebrity scandal or the newest episode Love Island.

Then an hour of reading (or rather, being distracted while playing on her phone) and sleep, and it was the end of another ordinary day for Violet Sinclair.


	2. Chapter 2

Sometime in the night after her very ordinary day, she was woken up by strange sounds in her garden of… digging?

_Not the roses_, Violet immediately thought in despair. It had taken no little amount of effort and several attempts to get them to bloom and she was rather partial to them at this point. Though alarmed, she was slower to get out of bed than she should have been, considering there was likely someone trespassing in her yard and ruining her garden. But still a bit hazy from sleep, she first grabbed her phone and groaned upon turning it on.

4:37 am? Whoever it was would pay for waking her up.

Eyes narrowed, wand drawn, and feet bare, she crept to the window and pulled back the curtain in one swift motion, hoping to catch the intruder off guard.

But it wasn't a person. The enormous black mass that had been rummaging through her garden let out a surprised bark and jumped back, ready to pounce at whatever was behind the window.

Violet blinked in surprise. For some reason, the thought of it being an animal in her yard hadn't crossed her mind. The thought of it being the very thing sending her small community into a frenzy? Unimaginable.

As the animal and woman stared at each other in surprise, it dawned on her that she might very well be the first person to see it in its entirety rather than as a blurred shadow through the trees.

But even this view it (him? She couldn't really imagine something that large being a 'she') — unmoving, ten feet away — couldn't provide her a clear picture of what it was.

Its fur was pitch black, blending in so seamlessly with the dark night that she had difficulty seeing the outline of its form. From what little she could make out, its fur looked long and shaggy, perhaps even a bit mottled. The shape of its snout clearly ruled out a bear, but a wolf didn't seem quite right either…

She was disappointed to see that her theory of a coyote was probably incorrect, for although it was the right size, its facial features and paws didn't fit. In fact, she realized, the only thing that it really looked like was a dog. Just a dog. Well, the neighbors would certainly be disappointed. She allowed herself a wry smile at the thought of elderly Mrs. Chatterly's teacup poodle next to this magnificent beast. No one could think those two descended from the same ancestor. To be fair to herself and everyone else in town, it really was quite large for a dog though.

During her long perusal of it, the dog seemed to have realized she wasn't going to harm it and had straightened up. Its light grey eyes, the only part of the animal she could make out clearly, gleamed as it bowed its head toward her and then paddled away into the woods.

She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Glancing down at the mess in her garden, she decided to let it go for the night and worry about it in the morning. It was too late (or early, maybe). Besides, it may have been just a dog, but she still didn't want to be alone outside with it. Back to sleep it was.

* * *

The next morning was a Saturday. Usually Violet would sleep in until 10 and treat herself to an unhealthily satisfying breakfast of waffles covered with maple syrup, strawberries, and whipped cream.

Instead, she was up at 7:30 in the morning inspecting the remnants of her garden. After her encounter with the mysterious dog — if it could even really be called an 'encounter when she was inside the entire time — she was unable to go back to sleep, the memory of the hulking body mass and intelligent eyes keeping her up. When it had finally become light enough outside to officially be daytime, she made her way outside. Violet stood morosely over what had been a plot of carrots; all that remained were small piles of dirt and several holes. The tomato plants and turnips she had been growing for several seasons were similarly ravaged.

Strangely only the edible plants had been ruined; her rose bushes and peonies surrounding some of the carrots remained untouched, as did the other plot in her yard that was all flowers.

It was looking for food, she realized. Poor thing. There probably wasn't much to eat in the forest. She briefly wondered if he had been a pet that got lost but almost immediately dismissed that idea. With his size, it seemed unlikely for him to be a family pet. If he did have a family once, it had to have been long ago, seeing as reports of the animal had first come out in April.

The sudden rumble of her neighbor's car starting up pulled Violet out of her thoughts, a reminder that the world around her was also waking up. She looked over her yard once more before sighing and walking inside to fix herself a strong cup of tea. She'd just deal with the mess tomorrow.

So she made herself some toast, did some laundry, and ran some errands to keep busy.

But right before she went to sleep that night, Violet put out a bowl of water and a large plate of chicken she had picked up with her groceries, careful to place it closer to the woods than her garden plots.

She noted with some satisfaction the next morning that both the food and water were polished off.


	3. Chapter 3

"Come on, what harm could it do?" Harmony wheedled. "It'll be fun, I promise."

Harmony was a sweet friend. She also frequently made many well-intentioned promises that she had a convenient habit of forgetting to follow through with.

"I appreciate the offer but I think we both know that going to a club surrounded by drunk men with grabby hands is not my idea of fun," Violet said wryly.

"What else are you going to be doing?" Harmony crossed her arms, giving her a challenging look. "Spend your night alone watching Love Island?" **(A/N: So we're just going to pretend that this show aired in the 90s or whenever Harry Potter took place because I'm too lazy to look up actual trashy shows from that time.)**

"No!" _Read: yes._ She turned around again to finish filling out the patient discharge forms, ignoring Harmony's sigh.

"Look, I'm just a little worried about you. We all are." She heard Harmony's tone soften and felt a bit guilty over her defensiveness. "You've been keeping to yourself a lot lately. More than usual," she added when Violet turned around to argue.

When she didn't say anything after a moment, Harmony jumped in again. "I know you're still not over what happened and that's ok. But it's been months. You can't just shut everyone out forever. I really think that spending some time with everyone together again is going to help but I don't want to force you into doing anything you don't want to do."

She lapsed into silence. For several moments, there was nothing but the scratches of their pens as they continued filling out paperwork.

"I'm not staying out past 12." Violet finally said.

"Of course!" Harmony was quick to reassure her, Violet noting with some relief that she generously didn't mention that most of the places they would be headed to would only be opening at around 11. She could practically feel the force of Harmony's beaming even without directly facing her.

"And no trying to get me 'open up' or whatever," she warned. "I just want to hang out with you guys normally again."

"I'll try and hold Alice back," Harmony agreed with a smile. She stood up, neatly stacking her work, and squeezed Violet's shoulder. "I'm really happy you're doing this, Vi. It'll be worth it, I know it."

As she watched Harmony leave, Violet felt another wave of guilt at seeing her friends so worried about her. Perhaps she had been a bit overly reclusive lately. Maybe Harmony and the others were right. It was time to get back to enjoying life the way she used to, Violet thought with resolve. Starting tonight.

* * *

Standing in front of her bathroom mirror, she nervously eyed the array of makeup products scattered on the counter. It had been awhile since she had tried to look nice but Violet figured her friends deserved that effort from her.

The red lipsticks were all unceremoniously rounded up and dropped into a drawer. She started with several nude eyeshadows, finishing with the faintest touch of glitter around her eyes and a soft pink on her lips. It was a look probably associated more with 'coffeeshop' than 'nightclub,' but she was happy enough with it. She picked out a simple black dress with long sleeves but with a short enough skirt to not stand out in a club. A pair of reasonably-sized heels and a small purse were added to the outfit before looking over herself one last time.

The girl in the mirror had eyes that were too large in a face that was too thin. Her dull golden blonde hair was forced into curls, her cheeks unnaturally pink.

Well, this was about as good as it was going to get.

She filled a disposable plate with some leftovers and a bowl of water as had become routine over the past five days. Feeling a bit unsteady walking in the grass with her heels, she stooped down to place the dog's dinner a bit closer to her house than the forest for once. She was about to turn around and go to meet her friends when a pair of bright grey eyes staring from the edges of the forest caught her eye.

Violet was pretty sure the dog had been coming at night to eat the food she put out for it (the large paw prints and fully cleaned plates every night were pretty good signs that it wasn't just a stray raccoon) but she hadn't actually seen it since that first night it came to her yard. And even then she hadn't been outside alone with it.

One of Violet's more unfortunate traits was that she had never been particularly good under stressful situations. And so her brain nearly shut down as she and the dog stared at each other.

Oh Merlin, she thought faintly. Was she supposed to stare it down in a sign of dominance or was she supposed to forgo eye contact altogether to show that she wasn't a threat? The wilderness was not Violet's forte. Even if that wilderness just involved her backyard and a stray dog.

The second ticked by painfully. The only sound she could hear past her pounding heart and shallow breathing was the deep pants coming from the large animal not 20 feet from her.

The dog reached out a paw to step forward. Violet tensed up even more, which she didn't think was possible.

A pounding on her front door had her choke on a breath. The dog froze and silently retreated his paw.

"Vi?" She heard Alice call out. "Are you ready yet?"

"Coming," she wheezed out. Ok, Alice probably didn't hear that.

Violet took a shaky step back. Since she was in heels, her ankle rolled and she nearly fell over completely, instead landing on the side of her foot. Naturally.

Shuffling backwards inch by inch, she made it to her back door. Unwilling to turn her back on the dog still waiting in the shadows, she fumbled around for the door handle before finally making it inside.

"Violet?" That was Harmony. "Is everything ok?"

After making sure she locked the back door, she quickly went to meet her friends.

"I'm here!" She pasted on a smile. "Sorry, I was just finishing my makeup."

Alice, who was dressed in a short glittery number with neon pink eyeshadow and wild bouncy curls, gave her a dubious look but didn't say anything. Harmony's friendly smile stayed in place but her eyes widened.

"You look great," Harmony reassured her. "But, um, do you maybe want to try using a lipstick that's a bit brighter maybe?"

"Ooo, I have a new shade here that would look great on you-" Alice spoke up excitedly.

"Hey, woah, Violet doesn't need to change." Matt said easily, the only one unruffled by her shaking appearance. "We're just happy to see her, right everyone? Shall we head out?"

"Yes, of course," Violet said quickly, thankful that Matt was there to prevent Alice and Harmony from overwhelming her. The other two mumbled their agreement, looking a bit embarrassed.

"Sorry about that." Alice was apologetic as they walked to Matt's car. "I just wanted to help you get ready, like we usually all do together. But you do look good, you know."

"Thanks. I just want to get out a bit with everyone again. " she said, looking at the woods around her house and seeing absolutely nothing. Somehow, that made her more nervous to leave.


	4. Chapter 4

Thirty minutes later, Violet and Matt were sitting in a poorly lit booth. Alice and Harmony had attempted to convince them to go dancing with them but Violet had blamed a blister on her foot and Matt had politely bowed out.

"How's everything been? I feel like we haven't had a chance to catch up in a while." Matt sipped his drink and immediately made a disgusted face. "Why did I order this drink again?"

"You didn't. Alice ordered all of ours, remember?" Violet had immediately put her drink to the side and ordered something a bit less strong. "And I'm fine. Nothing new. What about you?"

Matt said nothing but gave her a look saying _This is about you, not me_.

"There really is nothing new going on. Everything's just… the same as it has been, I guess."

"So you're still not…" Matt didn't finish his sentence but he didn't have to. Violet shook her head tightly.

"No. And I think it's going to stay that way."

She ignored his sudden look of shock, instead eyeing the crowd of dancing bodies.

"Any updates on that front?" She jerked her head towards Harmony, who was chasing after Alice. Alice had at some point been lifted up by several people and was crowd surfing her way to where the DJ was. Harmony had an alarmed look while Alice herself appeared to be having the time of her life.

"Way to try and distract me," Matt sighed but allowed the topic change. "I think she's still seeing the guy she met online last week and she seemed really excited about him so I don't think I should say anything now."

She gave a hum of understanding. Matt had been making excuses like this since their 6th year, always claiming that it was never the right time. Violet could relate, not being the type of person to ever confess to liking someone; so although she thought Matt and Harmony would be cute together, she wasn't about to push him to tell her. That was more Alice's area anyway.

"You could try dancing with her," she suggested. They watched as a tall man came up to Harmony and spoke to her briefly. Harmony gave him a bright smile in return and they walked together to the bar.

"Maybe next time. She looks a little busy," Matt said dryly.

They settled into their seats and heaved simultaneous sighs as Alice made her way onto the top of a table to continue dancing.

* * *

The next day, Violet slept in more than usual, exhausted from staying up late with her friends. She was horrified upon actually seeing what time it was when she woke up. Dear Merlin, could she really not handle a night out anymore? It appeared that she had peaked at the ripe old age of 23.

With a groan, she rolled out of bed, taking her sheets with her. She had already replanted her yard from when it had been torn up last week. Perhaps she could do some sketching in the woods.

That sounded good, she decided. Like most activities in her life, she hadn't done much with her art for several months now. There were several spots in the woods that she frequently went to previously to draw, with a small stream that was about a 15 minute walk away being a favorite.

So she packed a bag with an old sketchbook, threw in some pencils that were scattered around her desk, and found her favorite cardigan with holes in the sleeves to wear. Since it was too late for breakfast, she packed herself a sandwich to take with her and make a nice afternoon out of it.

The moment she stepped outside, she remembered her encounter with the dog last night. Fudge. The smart thing to do would be to go back inside, stop feeding it, and probably call animal control to make sure the dog didn't come too near again.

But animal control had already received dozens of phone calls and hadn't done anything, she felt too bad for the dog to stop feeding it now, and the weather was so nice for once that it would be a shame to stay inside. What were the chances that she would run into it anyway?

(Looking back, she would realize that considering she had just seen the dog there last night and had been consistently feeding it for the past week or so, the chances were pretty high. But she was tired, so those points didn't exactly come to mind.)

The trees lining her backyard could be unsettling at night, but that afternoon the sun was peeking through the branches and the only animals Violet could see were chirping birds and some deer.

She made her way to her usual spot, stepping over fallen branches. The sound of running water grew louder. Violet smiled. A left at the large boulder in front of her, a few steps after the tree with the gnarled roots…

Violet stopped in the middle of stepping over an old tree stump. In front of the brook she was headed for was the dog, calmly lapping at the water.

She took a step back. The dog's ears perked up and he turned around to face her.

In the afternoon light, he looked even skinnier than she had realized. On all fours, Violet guessed that he stood around her elbows. Her measly 5'4" frame wasn't much to be afraid of but for a dog, that was large.

Violet pulled out her sandwich. Despite feeding him for the past week, his ribs were noticeably protruding. She just hoped he liked ham and swiss because that was all she had to give him.

She crept forward slowly, her eyes trained on the dog. He also looked at her with what she thought was suspicion (Violet couldn't help but wonder if normal dogs could emote this well) but sat back and allowed her to approach. She lay the sandwich a few feet in front of the dog, immediately leaping back. He crept up, sniffing it cautiously before taking a bite out of it. As he ate (much slower than she would have expected a dog to eat), Violet felt comfortable enough to sidle closer to the dog's side. Though he gave her a strong side eye, he did nothing to dissuade her.

Feeling uncharacteristically brave, she reached out towards the top of his head. The dog growled and she jumped back.

"Ok, no petting. Got it." The dog laid his head back down in approval and resumed lapping at the water. Violet walked to a tree along the bank and leaned against it to sketch the brook in front of them, all the while keeping a watchful eye to make sure the dog ate properly.

Once he finished, he looked at her warily but shuffled around for a bit before curling up at the base of a nearby tree. The wind picked up suddenly and both shuddered. She made a mental note to bring some blankets for him next time. In the meantime…

Her wand poked out of the top of her bag, reminding her of alternate solution for the time being but Violet hesitated. It had been so long since she had used magic that she wasn't even sure she could cast anything correctly if she wanted to. One look at the shivering dog huddled in on itself immediately made her feel guilty. If she had the means to help it, why shouldn't she?

Violet drew her wand, reacquainting herself with the feel of the slim willow wood in her hand. She took a deep breath to steady herself. If she was going to do this for the first time in, well, awhile, she was going to do it right. With an elegant flick of her wrist, she cast a warming spell on the dog.

The dog gave a contented rumble and with that expression of satisfaction, she left.


	5. Chapter 5

After nearly 5 months of her self-imposed near-isolation, her father had finally given up on asking her to come back. Or maybe he just thought that she would come to her senses soon enough on her own and move back home. The recommendation that she come "just for a quick visit" still came up about every other week or so though. He never made the suggestion to come visit her himself and Violet never offered.

But Violet wasn't about to go back to her regular life either, despite being unable to actually voice those concerns to her father. So she made due with vague comments of "just a few more months" and promises to come by at Christmas. Either way, their conversations ended up stilted, redundant, and, well, kind of boring.

Violet loved her father, of course, but if she had to hear him ask one more time about her 'new' position at the hospital that she'd been working at for several months now, she might just hang up on him. But this call was different.

"Have you cleaned out the guest bedroom yet?"

"The guest bedroom?" she said distractedly, trying to brush away a fly swarming around her head without tripping over the overflowing trash can. (She'd take it out tomorrow, ok?) It had been around 4 months and she had barely set up her bedroom, much less bothered with the rest of the house. "What's in there?"

"Not much, just some of my things from when your mother and I first started dating," he responded casually. Violet frowned. Edward Sinclair didn't do 'casual'. "I just thought you might want to see them."

She didn't.

"What kind of things?" she asked to be polite.

"Oh, it's some old photographs and of my Hogwarts textbooks should be there since your mother was always so interested in learning more about it. I think my first wand might even be there-"

"Dad."

"You used to play so much with it as a child. The elm wood was so suited to you, remember?"

"Dad." Violet interrupted tightly.

Having grown up surrounded by magic his entire life, Edward Sinclair was unable to fathom how his only child had sworn off using magic for the foreseeable future. Violet knew he was trying to be supportive of her recent break from, well, everything, but he had always had trouble keeping himself from interfering when things weren't going according to _his_ plan for her.

"Violet, I'm only looking out for your best interests." His voice turned stern, a tone she was unfortunately familiar with from her teenage years. "You can't keep living like this, like some sort of hermit. Do you even have any sort of plan for your job?"

"No, but-" Her voice cracked and he jumped on her open weakness.

"You need to get back to your regular job and your regular life by the end of this year," he commanded. "You can come stay with me, of course, but I need some sort of timeline for when you're coming back."

"How about never? Is that a clear enough timeline for you?" she snapped back through the lump in her throat. She hung up the phone, immediately feeling guilty.

* * *

Violet was getting pretty tired of being woken up in the middle of the night by strange noises. It was no good for her sleep and she was really starting to get some anxiety about the noises one day being some sort of serial killer and not just some random animals in her backyard. She seriously contemplated just going back to sleep and ignoring it.

The scratching that had woken her up originally started up again from her back door, this time accompanied with a large thump. Violet turned her face into her pillow for a muffled groan but got out of bed. She crept forward and very slowly cracked the door open, still keeping the chain on the door latched.

The dog (because what else would it be) gave a pitiful whimper upon making eye contact with her. She gasped and immediately slammed the door shut. What did it want?

Violet took a quick moment to remind herself that it was just a dog and not some sort of stalker who had followed her back to her house. A whine from the other side of the door convinced her to peek out once more.

This time dog had had laid down with its head between its paws, looking up at her mournfully. She sucked her teeth. The fur on the dog's front left paw was matted with blood. While she couldn't see the injury itself very clearly, he wasn't putting much weight on it and holding it gingerly.

Violet eyed him nervously before running to get her wand. If she was going to let a wild animal into her house, she needed to have something on hand to defend herself with. While her 'no magic' ban was still in place, it was either either her wand or some large kitchen knife. Violet could envision herself tripping and stabbing herself accidentally all too well, so the wand it would be, magical morals aside for now.

She took a deep breath and unlocked the chain on the door. She looked out for a third time. Seeing the dog still patiently waiting with perked up ears made her feel slightly better. But not much.

"Ok, I'm going to let you in now. But no jumping on anything." She was probably going crazy by talking to a dog but she figured it couldn't hurt to lay out the ground rules.

Violet finally opened the door fully and pressed herself to the wall, careful not to brush up against the dog as it gently padded inside. The dog sniffed around her living room before settling in on her couch. Her white couch.

She winced but there wasn't much she could do at that point. Taking the fluffy blanket draped across the back of the couch, she hesitantly kneeled next to the dog. He opened one eye to look at her warily but didn't move as she placed the blanket on him.

"You're not that scary, are you?" she said in a soothing voice, reaching out to scratch behind his ears. "You're just a big fluffy softie."

The dog let out a disapproving snort but closed its eyes and relaxed as she pet it. Though there were some tangled spots, its fur was for the most part surprisingly soft, Violet mused as she continued to pet it. As her hand drifted past the dog's head to pet its side, she felt something sharp unexpectedly pierce her.

Hissing, she drew her hand back and lifted up the blanket to see if he had scratched her but his paws were all tucked under his body. Instead, it was the tip of a feather that had poked her. A surprisingly large feather that was tangled in his long fur. Violet spent several minutes trying to untangle it with no success. To his credit, the dog did nothing but lazily flick his tail at her in annoyance. Finally she gave up and cut it out with a pair of scissors.

The dog curled in on itself after she pulled it out and ignored her. Violet stared at the feather in her hand that was practically the length of her elbow to her fingertips. She glanced dubiously at the pigeons in the trees right outside her window, the only birds she had ever seen in her area. There was no bird she could think of that could be this large.

Even worse, she could feel the strain of magical energy thrumming through the feather. She ran her fingers over it, trying to get a read on it but all that she could tell was that it was part of the feather — or, more accurately, the creature it came from. It definitely wasn't a Phoenix and Thunderbirds were supposed to be even bigger than this. Theoretically if it was from a Thestral, she should be able to see it, although she hadn't actually encountered one to know what it looked like yet. The sizing was probably correct for that but it didn't feel quite right.

Strangely unsettled over the idea of a magical creature running loose so close by, Violet left it on her living room table, not wanting to keep it close but unwilling to throw it away yet.

Violet considered taking a look at his injured paw but the dog had tucked it away under the blanket and didn't appear to be in any severe pain. She decided to leave it for tomorrow and, after putting out a bowl of water by the couch, went to bed, making sure to lock her bedroom door behind her.


	6. Chapter 6

Violet peeked out of her door. The dog was in the same position as it was last night but was clearly awake as he turned his head at the sound of the door opening. He didn't seem particularly bothered, simply huffing out a breath and laying his head back down. She took that as a good sign and slowly eased into the living room.

"Everything's ok," she said in a calm voice, for her or the dog, she wasn't sure. "I'm just getting some breakfast for both of us."

The dog yawned but then let out a loud whine and moved its injured paw forward.

"Alright, I'm coming. Don't fuss."

She filled up a large bowl with water and grabbed several small hand towels before going back to the living room.

"Try to stay still," she told him, kneeling down to pet him. The dog put his head down, seemingly content, and Violet gingerly picked up his paw to better examine it. The blood was still covering most of his paw but the cut didn't seem as bad as it had initially appeared last night. She dipped a washcloth into the water and began wiping off the blood as gently as she could without pressing too much on the injury.

The dog stayed still as she cleaned it but pulled away once she reached for the bandages. Violet paused and reached again for his paw but he tucked it under his body and bared his teeth at her in warning.

She held her hands up and backed away into the kitchen. After rummaging through her junk drawer, she scrounged up a pen and a torn scrap of parchment to scribble out a quick note.

"Hermes!"

Her tawny owl preferred living in the large tree outside her house but always came when she called. He ruffled his feathers with an annoyed hoot but still let her tie her letter to his leg.

20 minutes later, Violet was still perched on her kitchen counter when she heard the sound of her front door opening.

"Vi? You there? Is everything- Mother of Merlin!"

"I'm in the kitchen," she called out, unbothered. She was pretty sure the dog wouldn't actually do anything to Matt. Probably. Matt ran in looking utterly frazzled, pressing his back against the wall.

"What in the world was that?" His voice was several octaves higher than usual.

"Remember I told you about the animal in the woods that has everyone freaked out?"

"Oh my God, Violet." Matt let out a large groan and dropped his head in his hands. "What is it doing _in your living room_?"

"It was hurt!"

"So call a vet or animal control! You don't bring it into your house!"

"I wasn't thinking, ok? I just don't really know what to do with it now." She bit her lip. Matt heaved a large sigh and looked at her with a frown — all a bit dramatic in Violet's view but he was helping her out so she stayed quiet.

"First thing's first. We go into a room that actually has a door!"  
Violet shrugged. "I'm pretty sure he won't hurt us but we can go into my room."

She hopped off the counter before he could protest and walked through the living room. Matt let out a yelp behind her and scrambled to follow. The dog, who was laying on the couch, simply threw a lazy glance at them and continued licking his paw.

Matt slammed the door shut when they reached her bedroom and put at least half a dozen protection charms on the doorway.

"Ok, if I Stupify it, I might be able to levitate it back out. How do you feel about distracting it?"

"I don't think I need him to get out. Knocking him out would be helpful in fixing his paw though."

"You want to keep it?!"

* * *

"You're going to need a name if you stay here," she mused out loud. "What do you think?"

The dog bumped his wet nose against her hand in what she assumed was agreement, his tongue lolling out of his mouth in what almost looked like a smile. Violet reached out to scratch his head, smiling back fondly.

"He's not exactly a Fluffy," Matt said with a snort. "Killer seems more accurate."

"Hey, leave him alone! You're not a killer at all, are you?" she crooned to the dog, who happily licked her face.

"What about Grimm? If I saw him in the woods, I would definitely think I was about to die," Alice chimed in, taking a big bite of cereal she had taken from Violet's kitchen.

"No! He's just- ack, what-?" she exclaimed. The dog had shoved his wet nose into her hand, making loud snuffling noises.

"He's just sniffling a bit, he's fine," Alice spoke unconcernedly through a mouthful of Fruit Loops. "What about Bruno? I feel like he could be a Bruno."

"You're not going to try to convince her to put the wild animal back into the woods?" Matt was still alarmed.

"Nah. He looks like a normal dog, just bigger. He's pretty chill so far anyway."

"All it takes is for him to decide he's hungry and the food that Violet feeds him isn't enough!"

"Relax." Alice rolled her eyes. "If you wanted someone to talk her out of this, you should have called Harmony."

"We both know Harmony would pass out at the sight of this. You were my only other option, come on!"

"Sniffles," Violet repeated slowly. The dog cocked his head, then licked her hand. "You like that, don't you?"

"Oh, great. She's talking to the dog like it can respond," Alice muttered to Matt, who only shook his head in despair.

"That's a cute dog name, right? Sniffles?" The dog wagged his tail happily.

Alice shrugged. "I could see it."

"You're both crazy." Matt threw his hands up.

"I have a good feeling about him." Violet scratched behind Sniffles' head.

* * *

Matt and Alice eventually left after it became apparent that she wasn't going to change her mind, with promises of checking in tomorrow to see if she "had been mauled to death" (Matt's words). So Violet was left alone with a new dog and no supplies to take care of him whatsoever.

"Dog food, a visit to the vet, some toys," she muttered as she wrote down a list of everything she'd need. She sighed. Maybe she wasn't quite ready to be a pet owner but he'd at least need a place to sleep for the night.

Violet finally got ready for bed, changing into her favorite pajamas with the little gryphons on them (a stressful day called for comfort). She had some spare blankets she could use to make some sort of bed for the dog in the living room, she thought as she brushed her teeth. And after that, well, maybe Matt was right. He was a huge dog after all and she wasn't in the greatest state of mind to take care of another living being herself.

When she stepped out of her bathroom, all worries vanished at the sight of the giant black dog sprawled across the foot of her bed.

"Oh no. You can stay here but not on the bed!"

_July._

"Sniffles, come back to bed!" Violet called out anxiously, already tucked in. If he didn't come to bed on time, she couldn't sleep well alone anymore. He padded in from the living room and with a small leap, landed right at the end of the bed. After he settled over the blankets on her feet, both human and dog fell asleep.

* * *

Several weeks after adopting him, Violet had settled into a new weekend routine. Mornings were still spent in the garden but she would go for a run with Sniffles. Her neighbors had learned to stay out of the way when Sniffles was out, most of them terrified by the huge dog despite his rather gentle demeanor, as Violet soon learned. On the bright side, Mrs. Chatterly was too afraid of Sniffles to corner Violet and gossip about the neighborhood the way she used to.

Her nights were slowly taken over with her friends coming over. While they had first begun checking in on her for fear that Sniffles would one day destroy the place, it soon morphed into drinks and a game night. Harmony finally learned about Sniffles. Though trepidatious, she still came over and just made sure to sit as far away from Sniffles as possible. Alice naturally was Sniffles' favorite as she constantly fed and played with him, but even Matt had taken to absentmindedly petting him when they watched a movie.

_August._

As the summer started to near its end, Violet found herself surprisingly content. She knew it was a quiet temporary happiness that came with the niggling feeling that something was missing, but it was nice to stay this way for a bit nonetheless.

"The Ministry is really about to lose it trying to find this madman Sirius Black." Matt frowned as he read the newspaper. "I just hope they find him before he murders someone else."

"Who? Black, the hot one?"

"Alice!" Harmony and Matt immediately scolded. Violet couldn't help but snicker as Alice sent a sly wink her way.

"Have you seen his pictures from his Hogwarts days and right after? The man had something going for him."

"Have you seen his mugshot?" Harmony countered.

"Look, I'm just saying that 12 years in Azkaban would cause anyone to look a mess and we shouldn't hold that against him. Still, you can't help but wonder how he did it. Man had to be pretty brilliant to get away from the dementors."

A silence fell over the group at the mention of dementors. Violet had only encountered them once in passing but even that was enough to cause her mood to turn.

"So," Alice spoke up, dropping a pack of cards on the table. "Poker or blackjack?"

As they began to play (Harmony was always surprisingly good at this "for an annoyingly honest Hufflepuff," Alice would say), Sniffles let out a whine and laid his head on Violet's lap.

"You ok?" She scratched him behind the ears. He mournfully gazed up at her, his tail wagging limply.

"Sniffles?" Matt gave a concerned look. For being so adamantly against him in the beginning, Matt quickly became the most attached to the dog and would frequently bring him snacks. "What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know. Lately he's been very affectionate." Violet frowned.

"I'm sure he'll get happier once fall has started."

"I hope so." She gave him one last pat before turning back to her cards. "I call."

* * *

Sniffles slept on her bed as usual that night. But the next morning, Violet woke up alone. Despite vast searches around town with her friends and posters put up everywhere, Sniffles was nowhere to be found.

Ten months later, Albus Dumbledore knocked on her door with a shabby werewolf and a large black dog in tow.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I meant to add in another scene at the end but tbh I was a little tired of working on this chapter without publishing it. So here it is! More to come soon!**

"Professor?"

"Ms. Sinclair." Dumbledore smiled warmly. "My apologies for dropping by without notice but I'm afraid this is an unexpected situation. May we come in?"

"Yes, of course," she responded automatically. "You found Sniffles!"

The dog jumped up to lick her enthusiastically. Violet felt herself grin broadly and she bent down to hug him.

"Ms. Sinclair-" Dumbledore began once they were all settled in her living room (with tea and biscuits, of course) The image of her old headmaster sitting on her couch was not one she'd ever envisioned and rightly so since he seemed quite out of place in her boring house.

"Just Violet is fine."

Sniffles took a seat at the foot of Violet's chair, laying his head on her feet.

"He came to us rather eager to go back to you," the other man chimed in. "Apparently your signature lasagna is better than anything I tried to make for him."

"It's pretty much the only thing I can make so don't feel too bad." She shrugged, wondering why they were talking about the dog as though he were a person. She extended a hand towards him, scratching Sniffles with the other. "I'm Violet, by the way."

"Remus Lupin." He had a kind face and a solid handshake, she decided. Remus, unlike his companion, did not look out of place in her Muggle home, dressed in neat but rundown and patched up clothing.

"Remus was our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor this year. Though I'm sad to say that certain circumstances caused him to pursue other opportunities. He's also an old friend of Sniffles." Dumbledore gave another mysterious smile but annoyingly didn't elaborate.

"Oh. Oh! Were you his owner before? I'm sorry I never tried to find you. I just didn't think-"

"No, no," Remus assured her. "You're perfectly alright. I wasn't his owner."

Violet nodded, sending him an awkward smile. The trio sat in silence for several moments before she decided to nudge along the conversation.

"So, are you here because of Sniffles? Does this mean I can keep him?" Sniffles let out a happy whine as she scratched behind his ears.

"No, Ms. Sinclair, I'm afraid not. I would explain myself but Sniffles would be able to show you better."

Poor Remus looked highly anxious, tensed and sitting on the edge of the couch. The reassuring look he tried to send to Violet once he noticed her eyeing him curiously fell rather short of its mark, she thought sympathetically. Then again, she never really liked anyone who was great at masking their feelings; he seemed more genuine this way.

"Sniffles?" she repeated politely, allowing a tinge of confusion to enter her tone. Sniffles tugged on her sleeve, pulling her towards the kitchen.

"Perhaps you should stay here with us in the room." Remus's words sounded as though they were for Violet but he was staring directly at Sniffles. Sniffles let out a loud bark in response and returned to aiming Violet for the kitchen.

"Suit yourself." Remus rolled his eyes in exasperation and sipped on his tea.

"Um, I'm sorry, what exactly-"

"It seems as though he would prefer this to be a private moment for you," Dumbledore noted. "Don't worry, Violet, Remus and I will be right here if you need us. I'm sure this will come as quite a shock but he's not what you think he is so you have no need to be worried for your safety."

"Worried for my safety?"

"It'll be alright, Violet," Remus said reassuringly. "If you could just follow Sniffles, everything will be clear. Just remember that he's perfectly harmless."

_I know, I've lived with him for months_, she thought in irritation, but stood up and walked to the kitchen. Sniffles followed her, bumping the door shut with his nose.

That was odd.

Violet sat down at her table, reaching out to pet Sniffles as he padded over to her. Sniffles licked her hand before stepping out of reach.

And then he wasn't Sniffles anymore. A tall man stood in his place, watching her warily.

Violet's jaw dropped. The man ran a hand through his shoulder-length dark hair and then, in a completely unexpected move (well, unexpected after his transformation from dog to man), winked at her.

"Surprise."

Violet wasn't sure if she was simply blinking so much out of surprise or if she'd suddenly developed a twitch from the shock. "Sniffles?"

"It's Snuffles, not Sniffles." He grinned wolfishly at her, clearly enjoying her state of speechlessness. Violet could only gape at him, not registering his words for several long minutes. He waited patiently, smiling at her the whole time.

"Sorry," she finally said after swallowing hard. "Your name is… Snuffles?"

"Yes. Also no, it's Sirius, not Snuffles." He frowned to himself momentarily but then smiled sheepishly at her.

"Sirius, then," she repeated, letting the name wash over her. Her eyes couldn't stop roaming over his unfamiliar features; the surprisingly aristocratic cheekbones, the grey eyes, the wavy dark hair, the cheeky yet slightly nervous smile.

Except his face wasn't unfamiliar.

And then his disconcertingly good looks sparked something. (No, not _that_.) "Not Sirius Black!"

Sirius winced at her sudden shriek of alarm. Remus cracked the door open, his hands in front of him in a placating gesture.

"Violet, Professor Dumbledore and I can vouch-"

"Remus, go back. It's fine," Sirius spoke without taking his eyes off of her. Remus cast the two of them a long look before relenting and shutting the door behind him.

Sirius and Violet stared at each other. Finally Sirius sighed.

"Violet, I promise-"

She took a startled step back as he reached out. Violet hadn't realized she stood up at his transformation until just then. He froze at her flinch and winced himself.

"I'll tell you anything you want to know," he promised, dropping heavily into a chair. "But I swear to you that I did not kill any of those people and that I am not a Death Eater."

His tone was so vicious and filled with disgust at the end that even if Violet had not already believed his innocence from Dumbledore's presence, she would be swayed. Though trusting his intentions was another thing entirely.

"And as for coming into your home, I-" For the first time, his voice faltered before he straightened up and looked directly in her eyes. "I cannot apologize enough. I was desperate, as you can imagine, and I took shelter where I could find it. I just needed a place to hide for a few weeks before my living situation was finalized. But if I ever made you feel unsafe, I'm sorry."

"It-it's fine," she said, the words falling off her lips automatically. _Don't make a fuss_, she could hear her grandmother's voice warning her inside her head already. _Everything is fine if you allow it to be_.

"Really?" Sirius looked skeptical, narrowing his eyes to scrutinize her expression. "You're completely fine with this?"

"Well, it's definitely a shock," she allowed, tucking one hand into her jeans pocket and other fiddling with a loose thread on her sweater to hide how they were trembling. "But I suppose I can understand why you did it."

"Hm."

They stood there for a few beats of silence, Sirius not looking convinced and Violet refusing to meet his eye, instead staring past him through the window into her backyard. As awkward this was, she was thankful he didn't call her out on her voice cracking.

"Well, they'll want to make sure you haven't passed out or tried to attack me so let's move into the other room since you're perfectly alright." His tone was sarcastic. She refused to look any higher than his chin and simply nodded before they moved back to the living room.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I made a mistake in the last chapter where I put that Lupin had been a professor this year when I should have said last year. To clarify, right now this story is taking place at the end of Harry's 4th year, right before the beginning of the summer leading into his 5th year.**

Professor Dumbledore had been talking for a few minutes but Violet didn't hear a word. She couldn't help but replay every time she and Sniffles—no, _Sirius_—had cuddled on the couch watching a movie or had gone for a walk. All the times she had talked out loud about her feelings to him, not ever imaging he could actually understand or respond!

Everyone was now looking at her expectantly. Dumbledore must have asked her a question.

"I'm sorry," she said after an awkward pause. "I think I just need a moment. If you'll excuse me."

She rushed back into the kitchen, closing the door behind her. The whispers in the living room started back up again but Violet didn't want to think about what they were saying about her.

Tea. She needed a strong cup of tea.

Violet put the kettle on the stove and sat down as she waited for the water to boil. She flexed her hands to keep them from trembling, needing to hold onto something, to release her nervous energy.

The horrifying realization hit her suddenly.

She needed her wand.

(Well, the tea could probably help a bit too.)

Before she could further contemplate breaking her oath for a sudden craving of magic, the door to the kitchen opened and she turned around, straightening up.

"I knew you were lying," Sirius said in a grim satisfaction. "Keeping everything subliminal, like you always do."

"Excuse me?" she said in shock. It was a strange feeling to hear a stranger address her so familiarly.

"You're clearly not fine." He crossed his arms disapprovingly. Violet hadn't noticed what he was wearing before, so focused on transformation from dog to man. Sirius wore simple but quality Muggle clothes, a pair of nicely fitted jeans and a black sweater. With his hair stylishly loose and wavy, it was overall a much nicer image than she would have expected of an alleged murderer who was on the run. Then again, he had escaped nearly two years ago. It'd be crazy for him to still be living in his old prisoner uniform that he was featured in on all the wanted posters.

"You're freaked out by this and you need to admit that or we're never going to get anywhere."

Violet couldn't imagine what on earth he was talking about.

"Get where?"

He shrugged, frustrated. "I don't know, Violet. I lived with you for three months, after all." Clearly not one to beat around the bush then. "I thought maybe we could be friends eventually or something. I wasn't just going to leave you. Unless that's what you wanted?"

Sirius looked at her questioningly, uncertain all of a sudden.

"You think we can be friends?" she said incredulously. Sirius self-consciously scratched the back of his head.

"Well, I just thought-"

"You thought we could be friends after you lied to me for months while living with me. After Sniff-you left me once already without any explanation. I-you-" She could hardly get the words out through the sudden lump in her throat. "I told you everything. I told you about my _mum_."

Tears sprung up in her eyes as her voice cracked. Sirius averted his eyes, distinctly uncomfortable.

"Look, I didn't mean to-"

"How dare you. I knew Sniffles but I have no idea who Sirius is and I don't want to," she sniffed, biting her lip to keep it from trembling. He was not going to have the satisfaction of talking his way out of this. "We are not going to become _friends_. We are not going to be anything because how could I ever trust you after this?"

Sirius looked an appropriate mix of disappointment, regret, and frustration. All of which Violet could understand. What she didn't understand was the flash of satisfaction he had at her outburst.

She shook her head. What Sirius Black thought was of no concern to her.

Violet brushed past him to politely tell Dumbledore and Remus that it was time for them to leave. As she shuffled past the mirror in the hallway, she caught a glimpse of herself and winced. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears and the angry splotches of red on her cheeks stood out against the rest of her pale face. Her hair was escaping its messy ponytail in wisps all around her face. Not the polished look she'd hoped she would have in speaking to Professor Dumbledore.

Violet took a deep breath, shook her hair out of her ponytail, and wiped away the tears with her sleeve. There wasn't much to do for her red face so she'd just have to hope they would ignore it.

"Professor, Remus," she addressed. "I appreciate you coming by to clear up this matter but I'd like to take some time alone if you don't mind."

Remus was quick to offer apologies and stand to leave but Dumbledore stayed put.

"I'm terribly sorry to intrude, Violet, but I'm afraid we must overstay our welcome by a few more minutes."

Great, now she looked like an asshole for trying to kick them out early.

"Sirius wasn't the only reason I wanted to stop by today," he began, leaning forward and folding his hands together. "I have a proposition for you, a sort of job offer."

"Absolutely not!"

Violet hadn't seen when Sirius slipped back into the room but luckily his furious expression was aimed at Dumbledore and not her.

"You promised me," he snapped, crossing the room in two quick strides to face Dumbledore. "You promised she would stay out of it. Is that all you brought me here for, to convince her to risk her life?"

Remus was comically frozen in a half-standing, half-sitting position, ready to jump up and intervene. Dumbledore peered up at Sirius through his half-moon spectacles, the only person in the room who wasn't tense.

"I promised she would not be harmed and I assure you, Sirius, she will not be put in any danger directly. But she is of age and deserves to be given the choice to join. Besides, if she accepts, she will have greater protection than she does now."

The key word _directly_ did not slip by her notice.

"Because she'll be in more danger than she is now!"

When Dumbledore did not respond, Sirius knelt in front of her chair, bringing them eye-level.

"Violet," he said lowly. His grey eyes bore into hers with an intensity that made it impossible for her to look away. "I'm the last person in the world you trust or like. I get it. But I am asking—no, I'm begging you to listen to me right now. Whatever he asks of you right now, whatever he offers you: _Do not accept_. I swear to you this is for your own good."

When Violet didn't move and just stared back with wide eyes, he stood.

"Ask Remus if you don't believe me. He'll have the most objective opinion for you."

Violet flicked her eyes to Remus. After a brief hesitation, he shrugged.

"It is a risky position," Remus admitted. "You would be put in danger by accepting. But it is a worthy cause and I'm sure you would be free to leave at any time if you are uncomfortable, correct?"

"Of course," Dumbledore responded. "Now to the real matter: you were quite a talented witch in your Hogwarts days, Ms. Sinclair, and I've been told you're an equally talented Healer now."

"Thank you." Violet shuffled in her chair, unsure whether or not to accept the compliments.

"I've been in search of such a Healer who is trustworthy for those who are unable to receive medical attention from traditional, more public avenues such as St. Mungo's."

Was Dumbledore making her join a gang?

"Have you ever heard of the Order of the Phoenix?"

* * *

"I'll think it over and get back to you."

"What would that entail exactly?"

"What is the monthly salary?"

"Do hippogriffs poop during flight or upon landing?"

Were all better things she should have said. Instead, Violet took one look at a seething Sirius Black standing protectively behind her, thought of her boring job in her boring town, and spitefully blurted out "When should I start?"

Sirius immediately let out a few swears and fixed her with an unimpressed look.

"I'm pleased to hear that, Violet. I'll be in touch with the details of your move." The trio stood up as if to leave.

"Of course, I— uh, move? Sorry, what move is that?"

"To our headquarters in London where you'll be safest. I'll arrange an interview with St. Mungo's so you have a regular job as well. I can't guarantee the position but I'm sure with your skills and experience, you'll win them over."

"Um, right."

"Thank you for your hospitality, my dear."

And with that, they Disapparated away.

Violet sat down heavily, letting her cushy sofa envelop her. In the span of an hour or so, she had made the sudden decision to move again. And she'd met Sirius Freaking Black. Who apparently was not a murderer but a dog.

As she thought back to her conversations with him, she bristled again. Who did he think he was, just assuming that she'd forgive him and they'd actually be friends? Absurd. They hadn't talked for long but he was clearly the overconfident, assertive sort. She never really got along with that type as their arrogance had always been too annoying for her to handle.

But there was something else too. Everyone had been walking on eggshells around her for months ever since her mother died, making sure she wouldn't get upset. She hadn't been yelled at by anyone in months but Sirius Black called her out and told her to get herself together as an adult should. And yeah, he was a dick about it and he lied to her. But he was still upfront with her today in a way no one had been with her in a long time.

As much as she hated to admit it, she had gained a tiny bit of respect for Sirius Black today.


	9. Chapter 9

Remus had offered to come by and apparate her over to Sirius's place but Violet had declined. It had taken her about an hour after Dumbledore left to realize that her new job offer likely came with the stipulation that she perform magic. The job at St. Mungo's would definitely require it. She had promised herself she would only use magic in an emergency though and this definitely qualified. She'd need to practice though so she might as well begin with apparation on her own.

After a certain point, there was only so much cleaning she could do around the house to make the time pass. Violet spent the last two hours of her afternoon fidgeting on her couch while trying to read but eventually gave up. She was technically supposed to go over at nine that night, but surely it couldn't hurt to go a bit earlier. And she was going to go crazy if she had to wait around for another two hours.

Violet grabbed her suitcase, grasped her wand tightly, and took a deep breath to prepare herself.

The crack of her apparation coincided with a deafening clap of thunder. Violet nearly slipped on the wet pavement, the stormy weather catching her off guard just as much as the unfamiliar motion of apparation. Thank Merlink she hadn't splinched herself.

She tugged her sweater over her head but the thin material was immediately soaked through so she dropped it. Violet tried to read the house numbers through the heavy rain but it was impossible. She ran towards the nearest house with her suitcase, careful to not slip on the wet steps.

The front door featured a large number 10. Violet let out a heavy sigh and went back out in the rain in search of Number 12.

Except there was no Number 12.

She stood on the sidewalk between 11 and 13 Grimmauld Place, balancing on one foot as she used the other to scratch the back of her leg. She was already sopping wet so there was no point in finding shelter.

So… now what?

She was definitely at the correct address but there was no sign of a 12 Grimmauld Place anywhere.

The surrounding houses had all of their lights off so there wasn't a good chance anyone would answer if she knocked. Violet was readying herself to Apparate back when the buildings began to move apart, the bricks forming a new space between Numbers 11 and 13.

Sirius Black stepped out of Number 12 Grimmauld Place, shirt unbuttoned dangerously low and wavy hair loose around his shoulders.

"Get in before you drown, Violet," he called from the front door, sounding amused. Violet could barely hear him over the downpour but it didn't matter. She rushed up the stairs, slipping on one. Sirius had begun to meet her halfway on the staircase and grabbed her arm to pull her upright. He held onto her until they were safely inside.

Sirius looked her up and down with a raised eyebrow. Violet felt the urge to cover herself up, which was pointless. He had seen her in every state—pajamas or fully dressed up—while masquerading as Snuffles. It didn't matter if he saw her looking like a mess now. Still, it was embarrassing to drip water all over the hallway of his obviously nice and expensive house.

With a silent flick of his wand, she was dry and no longer shivering.

"Thanks," she said. Violet immediately raised a hand to her head and looked around for a mirror.

"Your hair looks fine," he said but he was trying not to smile.

"I can feel it frizzing up," she said testily. This wasn't the first impression she wanted to make on the Order.

"I think they're more interested in your healing abilities than your appearance." Sirius was already walking down the hall, not looking back to see if she followed. "They're a friendly bunch for the most part anyway."

Violet was generally comfortable meeting new people but entering a house full of people who already knew each other for years was not her idea of fun.

"You're just in time for dinner. Just leave your things here; Kreacher can take it all to your room."

A House Elf, she guessed. The Black family was definitely the type to have one to run their massive household.

A middle aged woman with bright red hair was the only person in the kitchen when they walked in, ready to take out a large dish of pot roast. The whole kitchen smelled heavenly and Violet hoped they would take her straight to the dining room with the others to start dinner.

"Molly," Sirius greeted. "This is Violet Sinclair, the Healer who's joining us. Vi, this is Molly Weasley. You'll want to get on her good side since she makes the best food here. Unless you actually enjoy dry, flavorless food."

He sounded amused but Violet got the hint he was speaking from direct experience. She dragged her eyes away from the food (the mashed potatoes looked _so good_) and offered Molly a small smile. Molly did not return it but instead gave her a once over. Violet tried to subtly tug her short skirt down to cover a bit more, though it wasn't particularly scandalous.

"You're much younger than I expected." Her tone made it clear that it was not a good thing, though she was frowning at Sirius, not Violet.

"I received all O's in my N.E.W.T.s and have one of the highest patient ratings in my last hospital. I assure you I am more than capable of doing my job despite my age." Violet did her best to sound firm yet friendly. It wouldn't do her any good to alienate anyone right off the bat but she needed to establish her authority too.

"She's 24. She's not a child, Molly." Sirius's voice held a quiet warning.

Mrs. Weasley continued to look disapprovingly at him but her eyes softened when she addressed Violet.

"We'll get some dinner in you first and then help you get you settled in, dear. You must've had trouble packing up on your own."

"Oh, thank you," she said, startled at the sudden mood change. "It wasn't too bad; I had some friends who helped me."

Packing up had taken maybe two hours at most, given that she had never fully unpacked in the first place. Honestly, her house currently wasn't too different from how it looked before. Violet ended up only taking the basic necessities with her in a large suitcase to Grimmauld Place.

Her furniture and other belongings would remain in the house for now until she found more permanent accommodations for herself in the fall. Dumbledore and Remus had assured her she wouldn't need anything at Grimmauld Place but she had grabbed a throw pillow she liked and a fluffy blanket.

Sirius put his hand on her back, presumably to lead her to the dining room, but Violet stiffened immediately. He let his hand fall wordlessly but his jaw tightened.

Mrs. Weasley didn't seem to notice as she continued chattering about the rundown state of the house and their efforts to clean it this summer.

Violet opened her mouth to automatically apologize to him but stopped. She didn't owe him anything, especially not an apology.

Sirius took a step back and gestured with a sarcastic flourish in front of him. "After you. I insist."

He wasn't bitter, Violet was surprised to note, though she didn't know why she'd be surprised by that. It wasn't like she actually knew the man. Rather, he was coldly polite towards her.

They stiffly walked into the next room as Mrs. Weasley carried the dish behind them. The chatter of the dining table's occupants died down as they stepped forward. Remus gave her an encouraging smile from where he was seated. Violet recognized Bill Weasley and Nymphadora Tonks but the rest were unknown to her, though she could guess the myriad of redheads were Weasleys as well. And of course, a boy with messy black hair and a lightning-shaped scar who was giving her a curious look like the others were.

"Glad to see you made it here alright, Violet," Remus said warmly. Was that supposed to be a jab at the rustiness of her magic? "There's an open spot next to—."

He stopped before finishing his sentence. Violet couldn't see what was wrong about sitting in between the two identical Weasley twins, who were smiling innocently at her.

"I really don't mind sitting wherever there's space," she said. There was a resounding 'no' from everyone else.

"Maybe not for your first night," Sirius said, wincing. "Give her a week or two to settle in, boys. She can handle herself after that."

He winked at the twins and they grinned back at him. Violet stared blankly at them. What on earth did _that_ mean?

"Is there no trust between us anymore?" One of the twins sighed morosely. "We would never make a guest feel unwelcome, especially as one as lovely as Violet here."

He shot her a charming grin. Violet raised an eyebrow and gave him a dry look.

"Maybe just a small Nosebleed Nougat or something. At most." the other added.

"Is she even really initiated into the Order if she hasn't experienced the true welcome from Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes?" the first one commented.

"Nice try," Sirius told them.

Violet eventually found herself seated between Bill and Remus, with Sirius sitting across the table from her. General introductions were given and soon the conversation resumed its previous level before she had interrupted.

"Last I heard, you went off after Healer training to travel the world." Bill raised an eyebrow. "How'd you end up here?"

She shrugged. "Plans change. Last I heard, you were in Egypt as a curse breaker."

He shrugged. "Plans change."

They exchanged looks and Violet relaxed a bit. She and Bill had never been close but were friendly enough back at Hogwarts. They shared many classes, being in the same year, and he was always a dependable sort.

After dinner, everyone seemed to split off into groups. Bill invited her to join him and some others in the living room but Violet bowed out, citing a desire to settle into her room.

"See you later then. I know you're here as a Healer but I seem to recall some pretty nasty hexes in Defense too. Can't say I wasn't surprised to hear you were joining the Order, Violet, but it's good to have you here."

Violet stood in the dining room after Bill left, wondering where she was supposed to find her room, when a low voice behind her made her jump.

"I can show you to your room now."

Sirius was still detached towards her as he led her around the house on a more thorough tour than before. She followed him through the halls, stopping as he pointed out various rooms, including his own, before stopping at a large bedroom with a light grey color scheme throughout.

Violet tried not to look too impressed but it was maybe twice the size of her room in her mother's house and even larger than her room growing up. Black pureblood money trumped Sinclair pureblood money apparently. The few small potted plants she had brought from her garden were decorating the windowsill and her suitcase was tucked away in a corner.

"Right then. Well, if you need anything, you know where I am. Or you can just call Kreacher," he said uncomfortably and turned to leave. Violet felt her iciness towards him melt ever so slightly at his awkwardness; he felt much more approachable and human now than when he had his confident persona. At least she wasn't the only one feeling weird about their situation.

"Actually, Sirius—" He turned back eagerly—like an overexcited puppy, she thought and smiled to herself at the pun. She walked over to her suitcase and pulled out the large feather she had tucked away. "I meant to ask you about this. I found it in your fur when you first came into my house. I know it's magical but I couldn't quite place it."

Sirius took the large tawny feather from her and laughed.

"Buckbeak! He was hiding out with me in the forest but I couldn't exactly bring him into your house. Figured I was already pushing my luck being there myself. I'd sneak out to play with him and find him some food though. My hippogriff," he clarified after seeing her blank face.

"Ah. Well now you know why I specialize in curses and infectious maladies, not magical creature bites," Violet said, slightly embarrassed she couldn't identify something as obvious as a hippogriff feather.

"I'm sure you'd be amazing at that too," he said quietly. "Don't sell yourself short, Violet."

She nodded dumbly, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"You should see him. Buckbeak. He'd be excited to finally meet you. You had a few close calls in the forest where I thought I'd have to save you." Sirius grinned with a brightness Violet hadn't seen him show before.

"He's in the house?"

"Upper level. We try to get him out for a few hours every day to stretch his wings but he's kind of on the run too. Long story."

"Right." Everything seemed to have a long story behind it. "Well, thanks again."

Violet arranged the few things she had brought, determined not to make it a half-assed unpacking effort like she had done last time. Once everything was put away and she had lovingly watered her plants, she took out her wand and her old Healing textbook. It was time to practice.


End file.
